In this episode, Chris H and Josh P read an email, and boy do they ever stretch it out! Also there's discussion of summer movies and comic books. You know the drill.
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 28
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
In this episode, we go nuts. We talk about Blackest Night and Brightest Day, we talk about nerd problems. We ask "If they tried to abort wolverine, would he just heal himself?", Josh reviews and discusses the Scott Pilgrim Movie. Avengers and Siege are discussed. Iron Man 2 is covered. We're all over the map. It's a good time. Also, emails!
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 27
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
In this episode, Josh P and Chris H read viewer mail, and review Jonah Hex (that's right, we saw it!). Review is spoiler free up until towards the end, but we give a spoiler warning, so don't fret, Hex fans, you can get in on the fun too. Just tune out when you hear the queue. Also: Kick-Ass is briefly discussed.
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 26
Here is Mr. CHISSUUUUUUUUM's link concerning Mark Strong and Sinestro: CLICKY
Aaaaaaand here's Mr. CHISSUUUUUUUUUM's rough rendition of the WCAH crew as Alice in Wonderland characters:
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
AT THE MOVIES, COMMANDO STYLE!!!!!
(Note: Chris H's Audio drops out for a solid chunk of the movie, but who wanted to listen to that guy anyway?)
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 24
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
Hell yeah, the trailer for The Losers came out today, and it looks like an awesomely fun flick. Check it out.
I'magunnagoseeitwhenit'sout.
X-Men is getting a reboot. Ghost Rider's getting a reboot. Fantastic Four is getting a reboot. There's been talk of Daredevil getting a reboot. Now Spidey's getting the ol' re-boot! So today we're talking about ponies. Wait, no, we're talking about reboots! Like 'em? Don't like 'em? Take a listen? (A little siege-talk at the end as well)
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 21
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com. And as promised...Tobey is ugly.
This is a weird one folks. We said we were going to watch Frank Miller's "The Spirit" and damn if we didn't try, but folks, that movie was too much awful for us. We ended up calling it about 36 minutes into the movie. As a consolation prize, we're throwing the next episode at you, that's 50% longer to make up for the shortness and awfulness of the movie podcast. So grab a copy of the movie and suffer with us, or just listen and laugh as we suffer by ourselves, either way, the second one is our summer movie followup and it's a legit podcast.
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 18
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
It was any other Wednesday. I was futzing around on the internet and minding my own business when my trusty gmail notification blip went off and I scurried to my Gmail tab to see what online pharmacy was launching penis pills at me today, but to my surprise, it was the screening exchange instead. Somehow, I was selected to receive a ticket to see a super-early screening of the film adaptation of Mark Millar's Kick-Ass. And at the ArcLight in Hollywood no less! Not only was this a movie that I really wanted to see, but it was at literally the nicest theater you could go to in the area. Hooray!
Fast Forward to the day of, I show up super early and there's already a huge line. After waiting in line for a little over an hour and a half I got in and sat down and waited some more. Once everyone was let in and seated and the VIP's had their seats, one of the editors (if memory serves it was Eddie Hamilton) got up and explained that none of the special effects were done yet and all the music was temporary. This kinda made me sad cuz i didn't want to get cheated out of seeing the whole movie and miss out on the finished experience, but I was still happy to be sitting there for free when I didn't have anything else to do. And after a lot more boring waiting (man, I really should have brought a book or something, they don't let you bring in your phones so I couldn't text / call anyone) the movie started.
Jesus. This movie completely lives up to it's name. It's wraps up insane levels of ridiculousness and realism into a really fun package that you can't help but enjoy. I was skeptical of this movie at first simply because of how Wanted turned out, but this movie is made completely in the spirit of the comics (which aren't even done yet, haha). Everything I was kind of concerned about (mostly Nicolas Cage) was totally awesome. I don't want to sound too eager when reviewing this movie, but I really didn't know what to expect from this movie and it was really good from where I was sitting. By the end of the movie the whole crowd, including myself, were cheering, whooping and hollering. That's really saying something.
The characters are all awesome. Dave, the main character, (played by Aaron Johnson) is just like he is in the comics. A completely sarcastic improbable realist (haha, I know that doesn't make sense on paper, but he's a realistic guy who walks around as a costumed avenger). You completely sympathize with him as he goes through life in New York being pushed around by thugs and ignored by the girl he loves. He's had enough and he's going to stand up and make an effort to change the world he lives in. His friends are also really well cast. There's the inconsequential third guy, and Marty (played by Clark Duke, who's basically a much less-often laid transplant of his character in Sex Drive). They really help set the backdrop for Dave as a main character, because they play the guys you most likely hung out with in High School. A couple nerdy guys like yourself who constantly mess with you and give you crap because they're your buddies and they're supposed to.
Then There's Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Jesus Christ, these two were awesome. Big Daddy is played by Nicolas Cage and Hit Girl is played by Chloe Moretz. Both are amazing. Nicolas Cage plays his ridiculous character so well. As a Dad he's lovingly psychotic and oddly old-fashioned in his acting style, but it completely works to show that while he and his daughter go out and kill bad guys, they do love each other and function as a family on some weird level. The funniest thing is seeing him operate as Big Daddy. He kicks ass like a combination of the Dark Knight Batman, The Punisher (MAX of course), and talks like Adam West Batman, which just drives the whole thing home in a giant ball of awesome. And then there's Hit Girl. It's ridiculous that this movie has driven me to devoutly love a 10 year old girl, but it totally has. She's the perfect combination of out-of-costume cute little girl and then complete ass-kicking force to be reckoned with when in costume. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see the movie (you should, by the way). One minute she's daddy's little girl and the next she's calling a room full of gang bangers 'cunts' and then slicing them all up with swords.
There are a lot of other great characters in the film that are fun to see in this crazy story, gangsters, gang-bangers, high school chicks, and Christopher Mintz-McLuvin as Red Mist. The movie's just chock full of funny scenes, Awesome fights, and amazingly ridiculous story. It's really funny to compare and contrast the insane over-the-top insane fight scense featuring Big Daddy and Hit Girl to Kick-Ass, who basically is just a regular guy with some sticks who's trying to make a difference. The movie definitely handles the whacky idea of kids dressing up and trying to be heroes well. Whenever something goes right, 2 things go wrong to keep you grounded. I can't imagine a way this story could have been handled better, to be honest.
Lastly, as mentioned before, I was told that the music was all temporary and stollen from other places and the effect shots weren't done. Well, the effect shots all looked 100% fine to me (aside from a 3D comic backstory explaining Big Daddy and Hit Girl's backstory) and the music was actually awesome, because it was from a bunch of other awesome movies. I"m sure they'll make a great score for this movie, but I wish you had the chance to see the movie with music from The Prodigy, The Dark Knight, Superman, Batman, The Fountain, and all the other movies it uses movies from. The whole story is set around people who read comics, love them, and want to bring some of that heroism into the real world, so having music from other movies works so well. It's like they couldn't think of anything better themselves except for the same source material they're drawing from anyway. And I love The Prodigy (seeing him have his first true hero moment defending a guy from 3 Gang-Members while everyone looks and doesn't help while hearing The Prodigy's 'Omen' was really awesome, it totally drove the chaos and adrenaline of the scene home).
So...if you haven't figured it out yet I'll boil it all down for you. This is a movie for nerds and non-nerds alike (although nerds might identify a liiiiiiiittle more with it). It's funny. It's violent as hell. It's awesome. I'll have get you excited and yelling for more. When it comes out, go see it. It's going to Kick-Ass.
(P.S. I'm aware of how stupid that last line was. STFU.)
In this episode, grab your barf bags and get ready to watch some gore, because the West Coast Crew are watching Peter Jackson's Zombie Epic, Dead Alive (or Brain Dead, depending on where you live)!!!! Pop in your copy and grab your lawn mowers, this one's gonna be messy...
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 16
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
What did I tell you, kiddies? The bear-trap with Pocky worked like a charm! Justin Quizon's back, and this time, he's reviewing the new post-apocalyptic CG epic titled '9' for us!
Visually, this a stunning film.
The character designs, the directing, the action scenes, the world building....all of this is wonderful.
The voice acting is quite good too, thanks to it's strong voice cast.
The main problem with the film is the script.
Now, I find it confusing with some of the reaction I've heard with this movie, where it's a nearly violent hatred with the script because I didn't find the script inslutingly bad. Inslutingly bad scripts this year? Try out Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe, Angels and Demons, X-Men Origins: Wolverine etc. THESE movies had scripts so bad that I wanted to scream at the screenwriters.
No, the problem with 9's script is that it's just, well, things just happen. There's really no build up in this flick.
The films done almost entirely with exposition, using elements from other sci-fi fantasty films we've already seen. With it's quick run time, the film didn't get to breath. The movie is set piece, after set piece after set piece.
The characters don't interact as much as we would like them too, but then I think they interact enough so that we at least get to know them (UNLIKE fucking Transformers 2)
But the movie doesn't bombared me with inslutingly bad jokes, any bad character logics (when something happens to one of the characters, the other characters REACT to what happened and feel for them realisticly) or WTF? sloppy screenwritting that left me scratching.
I will tell you this...if I was, hmmm, say 8-10 years old, and I saw this movie (be it in theater or on cable) trust me, THIS MOVIE WOULD HAVE BLOWN MY MIND.
It would have been a movie that me and my fellow movie nerd films would discuss 15 years later ("Dude, remember that freaky movie about the dolls fighting evil robots?" "You mean 9?" "YEAH! 9! I loved that movie when I was a kid!")
This is this generations The Dark Crystal, a visually amazing movie that older film fans will find the flaws, but a younger generation is going to see it and fall in love with.
And maybe thats were I want to be right now, a young kid who just wants to enjoy a movie.
Well there you have it kiddies! Our catch-and-release program with the little fella is working out quite nicely! Of course we had to let him go again because our word is our bond and he DID review the movie, but set your mind at ease. We will surely exploit his vices again soon in the future and you will read another (forced) review. This I am sure of. Until next time!
In this episode, it's the return of "At the Movies With About Heroes!" The West Coast crew make a listener's dream come true at the cost of their sanity by watching the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie from 1995. Grab your copy or obtain a copy by some means (we won't tell) and jump in with us. IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!!!
West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 13
We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.
Us simple folks at West Coast About Heroes are looking for new and exciting ways to bring you podcasts, and while the tried and true format of us babbling our heads off about comics without rhyme or reason will never be abandoned, we feel it might suit us all to try something a bit out of the box.
Essentially, we're bouncing around the idea of totally ripping off the rifftrax fellas (click here to go check 'em out. They're worth every penny.) by releasing audio tracks that line up with movies. Of course, instead of the incredibly witty and hilarious jokes and observations of that crew, we'll just be doing what we always do, babbling incoherently, making jokes, observations, discussing what's going on, or wandering into the conversational realm of Gossip Girl, as we seem to keep doing (also, still for free). Generally doing what we do, but to a movie. Which movie? Glad you asked. That's essentially what this post is for.
We thought we'd run this by you first. Since we do the work for you, we figured we'd let you have a say in it. First off, does this sound like something you'd enjoy? If so, what movie would you like us to start with? Please don't pick a random movie nobody's ever heard of or is likely not to have in their DVD collection. We have at least 3 people reading / subscribing to this podcast, so pick something at least 2 out of 3 people would listen to, alright? Oh, and try to stay in the realm of 'geek'. If you ask us to do Garden State or Laurence of Arabia, we'll endlessly mock you behind your back and then pretend we still like you when we meet on the street.
Ok kiddies! Any feedback would be awesome, so let it rip! What do you think of this idea?
Where to start, where to start. I guess the best place would be to say regrettably that I have not had the fortune to read the graphic novel this movie was based on, however, I do love the good old Justice League, and feel like I have a good enough grasp on the characters that I am able to critique it without being misinformed.
First off, I'll say that what I like most about this thing in all is that it showed me that Bruce Timm didn't lose his magic with the Death of Superman DVD that came out a few months back. It cheered me to watch this and know that Bruce Timm HADN'T gone crazy and was still capable of making great work starring the characters we love from the DCAU
Now, that being said, I loved this film. It did a great job of capturing the whole DC universe, in terms of dropping tons of little hints for characters that aren't in the movie like Wildcat among others. The character I enjoyed the most in terms of faithful treatment was Barry Allen, or the Flash for you noobs out there. It was fantastic to see Barry and Iris on the screen, a scene where Barry thwarts Captain Cold in a bomb threat had me at the edge of my seat, truly greatful for a Flash on-screen that was worthy of the fastest man alive, something I didn't see on the Justice League cartoon often enough. That being said, the true star of the movie is Hal Jordan. We see him travel from a hot-shot test pilot to getting a ring from Abin Sur and fighting alongside the newly assembled team of heroes (including Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Batman, and Green Arrow amongst countless other smaller, wonderful appearances) to end the global threat of the Center, an alien entity that spouts mutant dinosaur things and acid trips to anything that ventures within. For not being a huge Green Lantern fan, particularly Hal Jordan, I really enjoyed the story centering on him and felt prompted to read some older trades, especially GL: Rebirth. Another great featured character was the Martian Manhunter, undergoing his whole Gotham Detective deal and working with an AMAZING Batman.
As far as the actual movie itself, it was quite enjoyable. My only real complaint with the movie is just that I felt it teased me, taunting that the Justice League cartoon show was gone and there was nothing I could do about it. I suppose it would be comparable to not having sex in years but dry-humping a supermodel.
Side note, was that weird for you? I'm gonna keep it in there anyway, haha.
The art is also fantastic. Or should I say Animation? Regardless, it was quite Timm-versey, but also in the same vein as the art of the original comic. I guess I'll keep this short and just tell you that if you like the DC universe, you'll love this movie. I super need to read the book. -A
Till next time!
-Joshiebear
This week we talk about....
-Spider-Man : One Moment In Time
-Uncanny x-Men
-Hulk/Red Hulk Discussion
-Inception
-Scott Pilgrim (the books & movie)
-The Expendables
-Machete
-Kick-Ass
-Justice League : Generation Lost
-Upcoming Walking Dead tv series
-Sherlock
...even a little Super Mario Bros talk
All this AND MORE!
About Heroes has been published at http://aboutheroes.com since December 14, 2005. Version 2.0 launched October 4, 2007. About Heroes is licensed under a Creative Commons License, which means you can reuse our original content, but only if you give us credit, and only if you're not selling it. All characters, unless otherwise specified, are © of their owners, who are not us.
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